taifaleo.nation.co.ke
@taifaleo Fri, 02 Oct 2026 02:55:14
Chivayo:Broka bingwa wa marais alivyofariki
KIFO cha mfanyabiashara maarufu wa Zimbabwe, Wicknell Chivayo, katika ajali ya helikopta Septemba 30 kimefunga sura ya maisha ya mtu ambaye kwa miaka mingi alijijengea sifa ya kuwa karibu sana na baadhi ya viongozi wenye ushawishi mkubwa zaidi barani Afrika. Ingawa alikuwa raia wa Zimbabwe mwenye asili ya Eswatini, Chivayo alionekana kuwa raia wa Afrika nzima. Kupitia mitandao yake ya kijamii, mara kwa mara alionekana akiwa katika ikulu mbalimbali, mikutano ya viongozi wakuu, sherehe za kifahari na hafla za watu mashuhuri. Alikuwa maarufu kwa maisha ya anasa. Magari ya Rolls-Royce, Range Rover, ndege binafsi, helikopta, saa za thamani kubwa na mavazi ya wabunifu maarufu yalikuwa sehemu ya maisha yake. Lakini zaidi ya mali hiyo, kilichovutia wengi ni uwezo wake wa kupata nafasi karibu na marais, wafalme na wafanyabiashara wakubwa wa Afrika. Kwa mashabiki wake, Chivayo alikuwa mfano wa mtu aliyeinuka kutoka hali ya kawaida hadi utajiri mkubwa. Walimuona kama mfadhili aliyesaidia watu wengi kwa mali yake. Kwa wakosoaji wake, alikuwa mfano wa uhusiano wa karibu kati ya wafanyabiashara na viongozi wa kisiasa, jambo ambalo lilizua maswali kuhusu chanzo cha utajiri wake na jinsi alivyopata ushawishi mkubwa. Safari yake haikuwa rahisi. Mwaka 2005, Mahakama Kuu ya Zimbabwe ilimhukumu kifungo cha miaka mitano gerezani baada ya kupatikana na hatia katika kesi ya ulanguzi wa fedha iliyohusisha zaidi ya Sh6.6 milioni. Hata hivyo, baadaye alikata rufaa na hukumu hiyo ikabatilishwa. Baada ya kutoka gerezani, alijijenga upya katika ulimwengu wa biashara. Alianzisha kampuni ya Intratrek Zimbabwe, iliyojihusisha na miradi ya nishati na miundombinu. Kupitia kampuni hiyo, alipata kandarasi kubwa zilizompa umaarufu nchini Zimbabwe. Hata hivyo, shughuli zake za biashara hazikukosa migogoro. Alikabiliwa na mashtaka kadhaa kuhusiana na mradi wa nishati ya jua wa Gwanda. Mwaka 2019 mahakama ilifutilia mbali mashtaka hayo, jambo lililompa ushindi mkubwa wa kisheria. Na biashara zake zilivyokua, ndivyo mtandao wake wa viongozi ulivyopanuka. Nchini Zimbabwe alihusishwa kwa karibu na Rais Emmerson Mnangagwa. Pia alionekana akiwa karibu na Rais wa Tanzania Samia Suluhu Hassan, Rais wa Afrika Kusini Cyril Ramaphosa, Mfalme wa Eswatini Mswati III, Rais wa Nigeria Bola Tinubu, Rais wa Zambia Hakainde Hichilema, Rais wa Msumbiji Daniel Chapo, na aliyekuwa Rais wa Malawi Peter Mutharika. Nchini Kenya, uhusiano wake na Rais William Ruto ulivutia hisia nyingi. Chivayo alizuru Kenya mara kadhaa na kupigwa picha akiwa Ikulu na rais huyo. Mwezi Agosti, alisambaza video iliyomuonyesha Rais Ruto akiendesha gari kumsindikiza kuelekea helikopta yake baada ya kuhudhuria hafla ya harusi ya kitamaduni ya binti ya rais, Charlene Ruto, huko Kilgoris, Narok. Baada ya kifo chake, Rais Ruto alimuomboleza Chivayo kama rafiki wa karibu. Chivayo mwenyewe alikuwa amesisitiza kuwa urafiki wao ulitokana na imani, ushauri na heshima, na si biashara au zabuni za serikali. Lakini kilichomfanya kuwa maarufu zaidi kwa wananchi wa kawaida ni ukarimu wake. Aligeuza utoaji zawadi kuwa sehemu ya maisha yake ya kila siku. Aliwapa wanamuziki, viongozi wa dini, marafiki, mawakili na watu mbalimbali magari ya kifahari pamoja na fedha nyingi. Katika maadhimisho ya miaka 83 ya kuzaliwa ya Rais Mnangagwa, Chivayo alitoa magari 10 ya Toyota Land Cruiser pamoja na ambulansi. Mara nyingi alisema kuwa ukarimu wake ulitokana na maisha magumu aliyopitia utotoni. Hata siku ya mwisho wa maisha yake aliendelea na utamaduni huo. Asubuhi ya Septemba 30, aliandika katika mitandao ya kijamii kuwa angewapa washirika wake wa muda mrefu zawadi za magari ya kifahari na mamia ya maelfu ya dola za Amerika kama ishara ya shukrani kwa urafiki wao. Saa chache baadaye, helikopta aliyokuwa akisafiria pamoja na mkewe Lucy "Lulu" Muteke ilianguka na kuua wote waliokuwa ndani. Maisha yake binafsi pia yalikuwa na misukosuko. Mahusiano yake ya zamani na Sonja Madzikanda, ambaye walizaa watoto wawili, yaliishia katika vita mahakamani kuhusu mali na matunzo ya watoto. Baadaye alimuoa Lucy Muteke mwaka 2025, ambaye alikuwa naye katika safari yake ya mwisho. Kwa wengi, Chivayo atasalia kuwa mfanyabiashara aliyefanikiwa, mfadhili na mtu aliyefungua milango ya urafiki na viongozi wa juu zaidi Afrika. Kwa wengine, atakumbukwa kama ishara ya ukaribu kati ya utajiri mkubwa na nguvu za kisiasa. Licha ya maoni hayo tofauti, hakuna shaka kwamba alikuwa mmoja wa wafanyabiashara waliovutia mijadala mikubwa zaidi barani Afrika. Kifo chake kimeacha maswali mengi kuhusu urithi wake, utajiri wake na nafasi yake katika siasa na biashara Afrika. Hata baada ya kuaga dunia, jina la Wicknell Chivayo linaendelea kujadiliwa na kuibua mitazamo tofauti kuhusu maisha yake ya kipekee.
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kenyanews.go.ke
@kna Thu, 01 Oct 2026 18:57:58
Kakamega to enact sustainable waste management law
The County Government of Kakamega is in the process of finalising the Kakamega County Sustainable Waste Management Bill, 2026, aimed at promoting proper waste management and facilitating the transition from crude dumping to a circular economy. The framework seeks to establish a strong legal and regulatory foundation for modern waste management, including waste reduction, segregation,...
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kahawatungu.com
@kahawatungu Thu, 01 Oct 2026 21:21:39
Ruto vows to protect Dangote refinery from extortionists
President William Ruto has vowed to protect Nigerian industrialist Aliko Dangote and the Sh2.2 trillion refinery investment in Lamu from extortionists seeking to frustrate him through frivolous demands and court cases. He claimed a cabal of political leaders was behind attempts to frustrate the businessman, warning that his administration would not allow vested interests to [...] The post Ruto vows to protect Dangote refinery from extortionists appeared first on Kahawatungu.
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@kahawatungu Thu, 01 Oct 2026 21:25:11
Sh96 million cyber heist: 'fugitive' nabbed in Kericho after bail, three court no-shows
A man accused of using remote-access technology to execute multimillion-shilling fraud against financial institutions has been remanded in custody after he was arrested in Kericho, months after he allegedly stopped attending court. Albert Komen Kipkechem, also known as Jonathan Kiptum Barmasai, was brought before Milimani Senior Principal Magistrate Teresia Nyangena on a warrant of arrest [...] The post Sh96 million cyber heist: 'fugitive' nabbed in Kericho after bail, three court no-shows appeared first on Kahawatungu.
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@standard Thu, 01 Oct 2026 21:00:00
From prison to palaces: Life, time and 'crimes' of Mr Moneybags
Wicknell Munodaani Chivayo, the Zimbabwean tenderpreneur who died in a helicopter crash on Wednesday, built a public persona on luxury cars, presidential handshakes and state contracts.
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kahawatungu.com
@kahawatungu Thu, 01 Oct 2026 17:13:03
Explosions heard in Ethiopia's capital after drone flights banned
Explosions were heard overnight in Ethiopias capital, some in the area of the military headquarters in the west and another in the south of the city, residents and diplomatic sources say. The blasts came hours after drone flights were banned over Addis Ababa and a week after fighting erupted in the north between the army [...] The post Explosions heard in Ethiopias capital after drone flights banned appeared first on Kahawatungu.
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@kahawatungu Thu, 01 Oct 2026 17:19:54
Three cops among 14 arrested as DCI bust suspected counterfeit currency operation in Nairobi
DCI detectives based at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) arrested 14 suspects, among them three serving police officers and several foreign nationals, following a raid on a warehouse in the Vision Plaza Industrial Area, Nairobi, where suspected counterfeit US currency, fake gold bars and materials believed to be used in the production of counterfeit [...] The post Three cops among 14 arrested as DCI bust suspected counterfeit currency operation in Nairobi appeared first on Kahawatungu.
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@kahawatungu Thu, 01 Oct 2026 17:23:49
Tennessee governor halts executions after Christa Pike survives lethal injection attempt
Tennessee officials were unable to put Christa Gail Pike to death Wednesday for a 1995 murder after administering two doses of a lethal drug. A death penalty expert said it was an unprecedented failure, and Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee halted the one remaining execution for the rest of the year. Pike, 50, was alive and [...] The post Tennessee governor halts executions after Christa Pike survives lethal injection attempt appeared first on Kahawatungu.
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